GallupReport

Strengths Insight and Action-Planning Guide
SURVEY COMPLETION DATE: 04-15-2015
Ivan Doneshefsky
Your Top 5 Themes
Strategic
Intellection
Analytical
Responsibility
Achiever
What's in This Guide?
Section I: Awareness
A brief Shared Theme Description for each of your top five themes
Your Personalized Strengths Insights, which describe what makes you stand out from others
with the same theme in their top five
Questions for you to answer to increase your awareness of your talents
Section II: Application
10 Ideas for Action for each of your top five themes
Questions for you to answer to help you apply your talents
Section III: Achievement
Examples of what each of your top five themes "sounds like" -- real quotes from people who
also have the theme in their top five
Steps for you to take to help you leverage your talents for achievement
702689192 (Ivan Doneshefsky)
© 2000, 2006-2012 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.
1

Section I: Awareness
Strategic
Shared Theme Description
People who are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced
with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.
Your Personalized Strengths Insights
What makes you stand out?
Because of your strengths, you might easily detect unusual configurations or spot new trends in data
or factual information. Devising options appeals to you. You have little interest in simply repeating
what worked in the past. Driven by your talents, you often bring an imaginative game plan to your
teammates’ attention. You enjoy partnering with people who rely on you to identify critical as well as
recurring sequences of events, facts, or data. Chances are good that you are known for your ease
with language. This ability serves you well when you need to talk with newcomers or outsiders. Your
vocabulary probably allows you to tell stories or express your ideas with great clarity. It’s very likely
that you enjoy brainstorming — that is, a group problem-solving technique that involves the
spontaneous contribution of ideas from all participants. Because you have acquired special skills and
knowledge, you can suggest a number of alternative solutions. Your expertise often serves as a
springboard for your own and others’ imaginations. This is the case when you are encouraged to think
about the future. By nature, you notice that the right word usually pops into your mind exactly when
you need it. Your comfort with language makes the oral or written expression of your ideas or feelings
appear almost effortless. Others benefit from your ability to transmit information, thoughts, or
emotions by using a vocabulary they can easily understand.
Questions
1. As you read your personalized strengths insights, what words, phrases, or lines stand out to
you?
2. Out of all the talents in this insight, what would you like for others to see most in you?
2

Intellection
People who are especially talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual
activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.
Because of your strengths, you may have a reputation for being well-read. Perhaps this partially
explains why certain people seek you out to solicit your point of view on specific topics. Others’
questions sometimes inspire you to delve more deeply into specific subjects. By reading, you now and
then add fresh ideas to your mind’s storehouse of information. Driven by your talents, you may enjoy
reading when you can savor each sentence or consider each idea. Your goal might be
comprehension, not speed. It might make little sense to you to rush through books, magazine articles,
newspaper accounts, Internet sites, or other forms of written material just to say you finished them. It’s
very likely that you occasionally want to exchange thoughts with visionaries. Maybe you are
comfortable with long stretches of silence. Why? Sometimes the quiet allows you and others to mull
over theories or create inventions that might alter the course of history or change the way ordinary
people live. Chances are good that you sometimes gather certain types of ideas, theories, or concepts
during conversations with intelligent people. Sometimes this means more to you than being well
known or famous. You may be satisfied when your mind is absorbing thoughts you have never before
considered. Or, you might relish broadening the thinking of particular individuals. By nature, you often
wish you could switch off your overly active brain — but you know that is impossible. Why? You enjoy
having time alone to evaluate ideas, philosophies, theories, concepts, plans, or issues. You are
impelled to test whether your thoughts and those of others make sense. Usually your conclusions can
withstand close scrutiny.
Questions
you?
3

Analytical
People who are especially talented in the Analytical theme search for reasons and causes. They have
the ability to think about all the factors that might affect a situation.
Instinctively, you spontaneously think through things to arrive at sensible conclusions. You generally
refrain from letting your emotions rule how you act or react to events, problems, or people. By nature,
you typically add a logical perspective to your group’s planning. You tend to break projects into small
parts. You determine the importance of each element. Then you tackle first things first, second things
second, and so on. It’s very likely that you are considered a businesslike individual by most of your
teammates. Why? You probably avoid activities in the workplace or classroom that make you appear
foolish. Chances are good that you notice that your ability to use common sense and reason gives
you an edge — that is, an advantage — over many people. You are driven from within — that is, you
motivate yourself — to accomplish more and do better work than you ever have. This is your path to
success. Driven by your talents, you naturally yearn to acquire knowledge. You often aim to establish
reasonable links between one set of facts, events, or numerical data and another set of information.
Questions
you?
4

Responsibility
People who are especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what
they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.
Chances are good that you have a reputation for being the team member who does whatever it takes
— within the bounds of propriety and ethics, of course — to live up to your commitments. It’s very
likely that you may be exact about certain things you do or how you do them. Perhaps you follow your
conscience when you need to distinguish right from wrong or excellence from mediocrity. By nature,
you refuse to shirk your obligations. You are eager to fulfill your commitments. Often you are
described as earnest. Your dependability is a hallmark of your personality. Instinctively, you might be
motivated by your sense of obligation to finish what you start. Perhaps you can fight the impulse to
delegate or procrastinate. Maybe you remind yourself that you are the one who is personally
accountable. Because of your strengths, you are definitely honest with yourself about yourself. Your
personal integrity leads you to do the right thing in most situations.
Questions
you?
5

Achiever
People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work
hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.
By nature, you dedicate yourself to practicing your craft and expanding your knowledge base.
Becoming highly proficient is a priority for you. You likely have established a reputation for being very
well-informed, well-practiced, and well-prepared. You typically have great difficulty working with
individuals who wing it — that is, do the best they can without studying or planning. Chances are good
that you naturally expend mental energy thinking about data and measurements. You aim to
understand what the numbers really mean. You certainly seek explanations from those who
performed the original calculations. Driven by your talents, you consistently outwit most people. You
are clever. Your mental superiority often helps you do more and better work than you have done in
the past. When your results are compared to those of everyone else, you are determined to be the
winner. Instinctively, you normally toil for hours to produce topnotch results. Being the very best at
something is quite important to you. You have little, if any, tolerance for mediocrity, especially about
the things that matter most to you. Because of your strengths, you can mentally zero in on tasks for
hours at a time when you have a goal to reach. When the assignment demands extra time, you would
be wise to honor your body’s natural rhythms. In other words, if you are a “morning person,” work in
the morning. Work in the afternoon if that is when you hit your stride. Work in the evening if that is
when you think better. Work around midnight after everyone has gone to bed if you are someone who
usually stays up very late.
Questions
you?
6

Questions
1. How does this information help you better understand your unique talents?
2. How can you use this understanding to add value to your role?
3. How can you apply this knowledge to add value to your team, workgroup, department, or
division?
4. How will this understanding help you add value to your organization?
5. What will you do differently tomorrow as a result of this report?
7

Section II: Application
Strategic
Ideas for Action:
Take the time to fully reflect or muse about a goal that you want to achieve until the
related patterns and issues emerge for you. Remember that this musing time is
essential to strategic thinking.
You can see repercussions more clearly than others can. Take advantage of this
ability by planning your range of responses in detail. There is little point in knowing
where events will lead if you are not ready when you get there.
Find a group that you think does important work, and contribute your strategic
thinking. You can be a leader with your ideas.
Your strategic thinking will be necessary to keep a vivid vision from deteriorating into
an ordinary pipe dream. Fully consider all possible paths toward making the vision a
reality. Wise forethought can remove obstacles before they appear.
Make yourself known as a resource for consultation with those who are stumped by a
particular problem or hindered by a particular obstacle or barrier. By naturally seeing a
way when others are convinced there is no way, you will lead them to success.
You are likely to anticipate potential issues more easily than others. Though your
awareness of possible danger might be viewed as negativity by some, you must share
your insights if you are going to avoid these pitfalls. To prevent misperception of your
intent, point out not only the future obstacle, but also a way to prevent or overcome it.
Trust your insights, and use them to ensure the success of your efforts.
Help others understand that your strategic thinking is not an attempt to belittle their
ideas, but is instead a natural propensity to consider all the facets of a plan
objectively. Rather than being a naysayer, you are actually trying to examine ways to
ensure that the goal is accomplished, come what may. Your talents will allow you to
consider others’ perspectives while keeping your end goal in sight.
Trust your intuitive insights as often as possible. Even though you might not be able to
explain them rationally, your intuitions are created by a brain that instinctively
anticipates and projects. Have confidence in these perceptions.
Partner with someone with strong Activator talents. With this person’s need for action
and your need for anticipation, you can forge a powerful partnership.
Make sure that you are involved in the front end of new initiatives or enterprises. Your
innovative yet procedural approach will be critical to the genesis of a new venture
because it will keep its creators from developing deadly tunnel vision.
Questions
1. Which of these action items speak to you? Highlight the actions that you are most likely to
take.
2. How will you commit to taking action? Write your own personalized action item that you will
take in the next 30 days.
8

Intellection
Ideas for Action:
Consider beginning or continuing your studies in philosophy, literature, or psychology.
You will always enjoy subjects that stimulate your thinking.
List your ideas in a log or diary. These ideas will serve as grist for your mental mill,
and they might yield valuable insights.
Deliberately build relationships with people you consider to be “big thinkers.” Their
example will inspire you to focus your own thinking.
People may think you are aloof or disengaged when you close your door or spend
time alone. Help them understand that this is simply a reflection of your thinking style,
and that it results not from a disregard for relationships, but from a desire to bring the
most you can to those relationships.
You are at your best when you have the time to follow an intellectual trail and see
where it leads. Get involved on the front end of projects and initiatives, rather than
jumping in at the execution stage. If you join in the latter stages, you may derail what
has already been decided, and your insights may come too late.
Engaging people in intellectual and philosophical debate is one way that you make
sense of things. This is not the case for everyone. Be sure to channel your
provocative questions to those who similarly enjoy the give and take of debate.
Schedule time for thinking; it can be energizing for you. Use these occasions to muse
and reflect.
Take time to write. Writing might be the best way for you to crystallize and integrate
your thoughts.
Find people who like to talk about the same issues you do. Organize a discussion
group that addresses your subjects of interest.
Encourage people around you to use their full intellectual capital by reframing
questions for them and by engaging them in dialogue. At the same time, realize that
there will be some who find this intimidating and who need time to reflect before being
put on the spot.
Questions
take.
9

Analytical
Ideas for Action:
Choose work in which you are paid to analyze data, find patterns, or organize ideas.
For example, you might excel in marketing, financial, or medical research or in
database management, editing, or risk management.
Whatever your role, identify credible sources on which you can rely. You are at your
best when you have well-researched sources of information and numbers to support
your logic. For example, determine the most helpful books, websites, or publications
that can serve as references.
Your mind is constantly working and producing insightful analysis. Are others aware of
that? Find the best way of expressing your thoughts: writing, one-on-one
conversations, group discussions, perhaps lectures or presentations. Put value to your
thoughts by communicating them.
Make sure that your accumulation and analysis of information always leads to its
application and implementation. If you don’t do this naturally, find a partner who
pushes you from theory to practice, from thinking to doing. This person will help
ensure that your analysis doesn’t turn into paralysis.
Take an academic course that will expand your Analytical talents. Specifically, study
people whose logic you admire.
Volunteer your Analytical talents. You can be particularly helpful to those who are
struggling to organize large quantities of data or having a hard time bringing structure
to their ideas.
Partner with someone with strong Activator talents. This person’s impatience will
move you more quickly through the analytical phase into the action phase.
You may remain skeptical until you see solid proof. Your skepticism ensures validity,
but others may take it personally. Help others realize that your skepticism is primarily
about data, not people.
Look for patterns in data. See if you can discern a motif, precedent, or relationship in
scores or numbers. By connecting the dots in the data and inferring a causal link, you
may be able to help others see these patterns.
Help others understand that your analytical approach will often require data and other
information to logically back up new ideas that they might suggest.
Questions
take.
10

Responsibility
Ideas for Action:
Emphasize your sense of responsibility when job hunting. During interviews, describe
your desire to be held fully accountable for the success or failure of projects, your
intense dislike of unfinished work, and your need to “make it right” if a commitment is
not met.
Keep volunteering for more responsibility than your experience seems to warrant. You
thrive on responsibility, and you can deal with it very effectively.
Align yourself with others who share your sense of responsibility. You will flourish
when working with people who share your determination to get things done.
Tell your manager that you work best when given the freedom to follow through on
your commitments — that you don’t need to check in during a project, just at the end.
You can be trusted to get it done.
Push yourself to say no. Because you are instinctively responsible, it might sometimes
be difficult to refuse opportunities. For this reason, you must be selective. Ask for
more responsibility in only the areas that matter most to you.
You naturally take ownership of every project you are involved in. Make sure that your
capacity to own does not keep you from sharing responsibility. Allow others the
opportunity to experience the challenges of ownership. In doing so, you will contribute
to their growth and development.
Learn to manage your Responsibility talents by considering whether you really are the
person who should be handling a particular issue. Defer to your existing
responsibilities and goals before undertaking additional burdens, as you may end up
skimping on quality if you have too many tasks or competing demands.
Partner with someone especially talented in Discipline or Focus. This person can help
you stay on track and prevent you from becoming overloaded.
Working with a like-minded, responsible colleague is satisfying for you. Be sure to
clarify expectations and boundaries so that each person can feel ownership for his or
her particular tasks — without stepping on each other’s toes.
Responsible individuals like to know they have “delivered” on their commitments, so
create metrics and goals to gauge how effectively you meet your obligations. Also,
make sure you have explicit and concrete expectations so that there is no question
regarding quality outcomes and so that you can hit the mark as promised.
Questions
take.
11

Achiever
Ideas for Action:
Select jobs that allow you to have the leeway to work as hard as you want and in
which you are encouraged to measure your own productivity. You will feel challenged
and alive in these environments.
As an achiever, you relish the feeling of being busy, yet you also need to know when
you are “done.” Attach timelines and measurement to goals so that effort leads to
defined progress and tangible outcomes.
Remember to build celebration and recognition into your life. Achievers tend to move
on to the next challenge without acknowledging their successes. Counter this impulse
by creating regular opportunities to enjoy your progress and accomplishments.
Your drive for action might cause you to find meetings a bit boring. If that’s the case,
appeal to your Achiever talents by learning the objectives of each meeting ahead of
time and by taking notes about progress toward those objectives during the meeting.
You can help ensure that meetings are productive and efficient.
Continue your education by attaining certifications in your area or specialty in addition
to attending conferences and other programs. This will give you even more goals to
achieve and will push your existing boundaries of accomplishment.
You do not require much motivation from others. Take advantage of your self-
motivation by setting challenging goals. Set a more demanding goal every time you
finish a project.
Partner with other hard workers. Share your goals with them so they can help you to
get more done.
Count personal achievements in your scoring “system.” This will help you direct your
Achiever talents toward family and friends as well as toward work.
More work excites you. The prospect of what lies ahead is infinitely more motivating
than what has been completed. Launch initiatives and new projects. Your seemingly
endless reserve of energy will create enthusiasm and momentum.
Make sure that in your eagerness to do more at work, you do not skimp on quality.
Create measurable outcome standards to guarantee that increased productivity is
matched by enhanced quality.
Questions
take.
12

Section III: Achievement
Look for signs of achievement as you read these real quotes from people who share your top five
themes.
Strategic sounds like this:
Liam C., manufacturing plant manager: “It seems as if I can always see the consequences before
anyone else can. I have to say to people, ‘Lift up your eyes; look down the road a ways. Let’s talk
about where we are going to be next year so that when we get to this time next year, we don’t have
the same problems.’ It seems obvious to me, but some people are just too focused on this month’s
numbers, and everything is driven by that.”
Vivian T., television producer: “I used to love logic problems when I was a kid — you know, the ones
where ‘if A implies B, and B equals C, does A equal C?’ Still today, I am always playing out
repercussions, seeing where things lead. I think it makes me a great interviewer. I know that nothing
is an accident; every sign, every word, every tone of voice has significance. So I watch for these clues
and play them out in my head, see where they lead, and then plan my questions to take advantage of
what I have seen in my head.”
Simon T., human resources executive: “We really needed to take the union on at some stage, and I
saw an opportunity — a very good issue to take them on. I could see that they were going in a
direction that would lead them into all kinds of trouble if they continued following it. Lo and behold,
they did continue following it, and when they arrived, there I was, ready and waiting. I suppose it just
comes naturally to me to predict what someone else is going to do. And then when that person reacts,
I can respond immediately because I have sat down and said, ‘Okay, if they do this, we’ll do this. If
they do that, then we’ll do this other thing.’ It’s like when you tack in a sailboat. You head in one
direction, but you jinx one way, then another, planning and reacting, planning and reacting.”
13

Intellection sounds like this:
Lauren H., project manager: “I suppose that most people who meet me in passing presume that I am
a flaming extrovert. I do not deny the fact that I love people, but they would be amazed to know how
much time alone, how much solitude, I need in order to function in public. I really love my own
company. I love solitude because it gives me a chance to allow my diffused focus to simmer with
something else. That’s where my best ideas come from. My ideas need to simmer and ‘perk.’ I used
this phrase even when I was younger: ‘I have put my ideas in, and now I have to wait for them to
perk.’”
Michael P., marketing executive: “It’s strange, but I find that I need to have noise around me or I can’t
concentrate. I need to have parts of my brain occupied; otherwise, it goes so fast in so many
directions that I don’t get anything done. If I can occupy my brain with the TV or my kids running
around, then I find I concentrate even better.”
Jorge H., factory manager and former political prisoner: “We used to get put into solitary confinement
as a punishment, but I never hated it as much as the others did. You might think that you would get
lonely, but I never did. I used the time to reflect on my life and sort out the kind of man I was and what
was really important to me: my family, my values. In a weird way, solitary actually calmed me down
and made me stronger.”
14

Analytical sounds like this:
Jose G., school system administrator: “I have an innate ability to see structures, formats, and patterns
before they exist. For instance, when people are talking about writing a grant proposal, while I’m
listening to them, my brain instinctively processes the type of grants that are available and how the
discussion fits into the eligibility, right down to the format of how the information can fit on the grant
form in a clear and convincing way.”
Jack T., human resources executive: “If I make a claim, I need to know that I can back it up with facts
and logical thinking. For example, if someone says that our company is not paying as much as other
companies, I always ask, ‘Why do you say that?’ If they say, ‘Well, I saw an ad in the paper that offers
graduates in mechanical engineering five grand more than we are paying,’ I'll reply by asking, ‘But
where are these graduates going to work? Is their salary based on geography? What types of
companies are they going for? Are they manufacturing companies like ours? And how many people
are in their sample? Is it three people, and one of them got a really good deal, thus driving the overall
average up?’ There are many questions I need to ask to ensure that their claim is indeed a fact and
not based on one misleading data point.”
Leslie J., school principal: “Many times, there are inconsistencies in the performance of the same
group of students from one year to the next. It’s the same group of kids, but their scores are different
year to year. How can this be? Which building are the kids in? How many of the kids have been
enrolled for a full academic year? Which teachers were they assigned to, and what teaching styles
were used by those teachers? I just love asking questions like these to understand what is truly
happening.”
15

Responsibility sounds like this:
Nigel T., sales executive: “I used to think that there was a piece of metal in my hand and a magnet on
the ceiling. I would just volunteer for everything. I have had to learn how to manage that because not
only would I end up with too much on my plate, but I would also wind up thinking that everything was
my fault. I realize now that I can’t be responsible for everything in the world — that’s God’s job.”
Kelly G., operations manager: “The country manager in Sweden called me in November and said,
‘Kelly, could you please not ship my inventory until January 1.’ I said, ‘Sure. Sounds like a good plan.’
I told my people about the plan and thought I had all the bases covered. On December 31, however,
when I was checking my messages while on a ski slope, making sure everything was hunky-dory, I
saw that his order had already been shipped and invoiced. I had to call immediately and tell him what
happened. He’s a nice man, so he didn’t use any four-letter words, but he was very angry and very
disappointed. I felt terrible. An apology wasn’t enough. I needed to fix it. I called our controller from the
chalet, and that afternoon we figured out a way to put the value of his inventory back on our books
and clean it off his. It took most of the weekend, but it was the right thing to do.”
Harry B., outplacement consultant: “I was just a young bank manager in one of the branches when the
president of the company decided that he wanted to foreclose on a property. I said, ‘That’s fine, but
we have a responsibility to give the people full value for their property.’ He didn’t see it that way. He
wanted to sell the property to a friend of his for what was owed, and he said my problem was that I
couldn’t separate my business ethics from my personal ethics. I told him that was correct. I couldn’t
because I didn’t believe — and still don’t believe — that you can have two standards. So I quit the firm
and went back to earning five dollars an hour working for the forestry service picking up trash. Since
my wife and I were trying to support our two kids and make ends meet, it was a hard decision for me
to make. But looking back, on one level, it really wasn’t hard at all. I simply couldn’t function in an
organization with those kinds of ethics.”
16

Achiever sounds like this:
Melanie K., ER nurse: “I have to rack up points every day to feel successful. Today I’ve been here
only half an hour, but I’ve probably racked up thirty points already. I ordered equipment for the ER, I
had equipment repaired, I had a meeting with my charge nurse, and I brainstormed with my secretary
about improving our computerized logbook. So on my list of ninety things, I have thirty done already.
I’m feeling pretty good about myself right now.”
Ted S., salesperson: “Last year I was salesperson of the year out of my company’s three hundred
salespeople. It felt good for a day, but sure enough, later that week, it was as if it never happened. I
was back at zero again. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t an achiever because it can lead me away from a
balanced life and toward obsession. I used to think I could change myself, but now I know I am just
wired this way. This theme is truly a double-edged sword. It helps me achieve my goals, but on the
other hand, I wish I could just turn it off and on at will. But, hey, I can’t. I can manage it and avoid work
obsession by focusing on achieving in all parts of my life, not just work.”
Sara L., writer: “This theme is a weird one. First, it’s good because you live in pursuit of the perpetual
challenge. But in the second place, you never feel as though you’ve reached your goal. It can keep
you running uphill at seventy miles an hour for your whole life. You never rest because there’s always
more to do. But, on balance, I think I would rather have it than not. I call it my ‘divine restlessness,’
and if it makes me feel as if I owe the present everything I have, then so be it. I can live with that.”
17

Questions
1. Talk to friends or coworkers to hear how they have used their talents to achieve.
2. How will you use your talents to achieve?
18

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